( 3 ) 
Chloritic Rock.—A broad strip of an indurated chloritic rock, probably 
some kind of green stone or trap, pervades the interior from Mangrove Bay 
and Watering Cove northwards in the direction of the higher ranges of the 
eastern coast and reaches the eastern sea shores at Middle Andaman. The 
same rocks appear also on Termoklee Island (one of the Labyrinth Islands), 
where they come in contact with coarsely stratified serpentine rock. This indu¬ 
rated rock appears to be rather felspathic, it is of a greenish color, scarcely 
stratified, but intersected by veins of quartz and calcareous spar. Small 
cavities occasionally occur in the rock, exhibiting on the interior of the walls a 
large number of quartz crystals and other minerals. It is remarkable that, so 
far as my observations allow me to judge, this green rock seems to occupy the 
greater part of the level lands, but it does not form ridges or hills of any 
height worthy to be noted; but we know, in fact, nothing about the formation 
of the hills in the interior parts. 
Sandstone.—The next rock, which covers a great area of South Andaman, 
is a grey sandstone, dipping to north by east with an angle of from 48° to 45°, 
or thereabouts. This sandstone is throughout of a very fine grain, showing a 
large proportion of silica, and occasionally being rather micaceous. The strata 
exhibit usually a distinct cubic structure. The rock itself decomposes easily, 
and forms in general a good clay soil. 
Along the western coast at Port Mouat this rock is excavated and vari¬ 
ously worked out by the sea, exhibiting there many fantastically formed rocks 
resembling in appearance the limestone rocks on the Mingan Islands. 
Often, as for instance very finely on Bird Island near Viper, this sand¬ 
stone is interlaid with thin layers, colored rusty by oxide of iron. 
Serpentine Rocks— Serpentine rocks are found chiefly to the south of 
Corbyn’s Cove in a south-western direction, and including nearly the whole 
eastern part of Rutland Island (but also occurring on Termoklee Island). 
This formation is easily traceable all along the coast by the reddish color of 
the rocks, or by the brick-colored soil, which originates from its decomposition. 
The strike and dip are in general the same as that of the grey sandstone. 
At Bird-nest Cape, where these rocks attain a height of 70 feet or more, 
a cubic structure, similar to that of the common grey sandstone, can be 
observed. 
The unaltered rock is mostly of deep green color, as impure serpentine 
rocks usually are. The stratified portion of the rock, however, which is 
much more decomposed, exhibits chiefly a reddish brown color, and is very 
ferruo-ineous in some places. It would be, perhaps, worth smelting, but I saw 
no limestone at hand. 
Behind Homfray’s Ghaut, a narrow strip of serpentine is met with, which 
might also be usefully employed for practical purposes. It is tolerably 
pure and quite soft, so as to be easily cut with a knife. 
At Macpherson’s Straits, a dark-green variety of serpentine rock, with 
diallao’e is seen, not only in isolated rocks in the sea, but also on the low 
ridge of the coast. 
Syenite— A microcrystalline syenite has been traced near Watering Cove. 
It seems to be only of a" very limited extent, and surrounded everywhere by 
the indurated chloritic rock. 
Conglomerates, formed of coarse pebbles of quartz, chloritic serpentine, 
and sandstone, have been observed in large quantities at Muddy Creek, at 
Shoal Bay, and on Termoklee Island. They occur principally in the sea. 
No fossils* whatever have as yet been observed on the Andaman Islands. 
* I have been informed since by Mr. Prince, Executive Engineer in Birma, that thin seams of coal occur on Viper 
Island, containing distinct rests of fossil plants. 
